Saturday, August 4, 2012
Rockhold asked commissioners if they would block certain county roads the day of the race from 215th Street and the intersection of Indian Road, south to the intersection of Grand Road and Highway 39 — about two and a half miles. The run is slated for 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, starting in Mercy’s east parking lot. It is organized by an eight-member committee comprised of Mercy employees.
“We are asking for assistance from the county to keep the roads safe for our participants,” Rockhold said.
Commission Chairman Harold Coleman told Rockhold the county would do “whatever we did last year” to help.
The idea for the Mercy Day stemmed from Mercy’s public initiative to engage coworkers in healthier habits by emphasizing the four pillars associated with healthy living — eat for life; breathe for life; balance for life; and move for life.
“To address the ‘move for life,’ pillar we chose this particular project last year to get our coworkers engaged,” Rockhold said.
Participants may make a 5K run, or a half-marathon. The fee for the 5K run is $25 per person, which includes a T-shirt and awards for the top three finishers in each age group.
Cost for the half-marathon is $40 per individual and also includes a T-shirt and medal. Additional medals will go to the top five men and women. Those who wish to take part may register up to the day of the race, from 6-6:30 a.m. but fees will increase $5 after Sept. 14.
Online registration is available at www.heartlandtiming.com. Forms can be obtained at Mercy Health for Life and Buck Run Community Center.
Proceeds will benefit the resurfacing of the community walking trail at Fort Scott Community College.
About 140 people attended the first Mercy Day Run last year, with some runners hailing from as far away as Kansas City and Arkansas. Approximately 42 Mercy workers donated their time to the event.
“The other thing that I think is important (is that) even though it’s an idea to promote fitness among our own co-workers, we hope to encourage our community to become more active, too,” Rockhold said. “We hope the community and others join our efforts to make us a stronger, more healthy community.”
Rockhold said only a handful of people have pre-registered for the event. With eight weeks left until the big day, Rockhold said she isn’t “getting too nervous yet.”
Organizers have set a goal of 150 participants to surpass last year’s attendance.
Rockhold said she would like to thank this year’s sponsors: Mercy Clinic, the city of Fort Scott, FSCC and Cobalt MedPlans.
“The whole idea is to challenge yourself to go just a little bit farther this time,” she said.
This year is the 126th year that Mercy has been in Fort Scott. Across Mercy’s four-state service area, Mercy Day honors the servitude and compassionate care of the founding Sisters who set the Mercy health care ministry in motion, a June news release said.
For more information about Mercy Day or the Mercy Day Run, contact the Mercy Development Office at (620) 223-8094.
In other business, commissioners:
*Received another revised edition of the 2013 county budget. Accountant Terry Sercer, of Diehl, Banwart, and Bolton CPAs, presented the revised version of the budget to commissioners, which included an additional $25,000 to the county’s murder trial fund, which covers the expenses the county incurs from murder trials.
The revisions in the budget adjusted the local mill levy, but Sercer said it is still down from last year at about .600 mills.
Commissioners plan to hold the public hearing on the budget within the next few weeks.
Angelique McNaughton 